Rolling Back the Years

News from the Coloma Courier

100 years ago – 1924

This is the largest class ever graduated Coloma High School. Some of the 21 seniors are: Charles Arent, Richard and William Fletcher, Flossie Hazen, Norma Schmuhl and E. Lucile Scherer. Colors: Brown and Gold. Flower: Yellow Rose.

Attention has been called to the act of people dumping rubbish along the highways. Please throw dirt over the rubbish if you must dump along the roadside.

60 years ago – 1964

Harriet Leedy, Coloma’s oldest resident at 104, passed away at her home. Funeral services will be held at Davidson Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Coloma Cemetery.

A regular auto safety check was held at the school. All students with autos went through the safety check line. Liz Scheuer had a happy smile as her Volkswagen passed with flying colors.

During a surprise fire drill at Coloma Elementary, the volunteer fire department was called to a real grass fire. The fire at the Dennis Mills farm had been started by lightning.

30 years ago – 1994

Top Ten Seniors: Natalie Schultz, Lisa Martin, Betsy Kaucher, Lisa Phillipi, Mark Collins, Rob Goetz, Shawn Hays, Jason Mestre, Anthony Krieger and Michele Taggart.

Memorial Day Services will be conducted at North Shore Memory Gardens. Full military services will be presented by the American Legion Post 362. An additional service will be held at the Coloma Cemetery.

Harold Bragg, high school social studies teacher, will depart with five Coloma students on a three-week European trip. These annual European trips are school approved but not school sponsored.

Submitted by volunteer Sandi Musick Munchow at Coloma Public Library from the Coloma Courier newspapers donated by the Tri-City Record.

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Phone: 269-468-3431

News from the Hartford Day Spring

100 years ago - 1924

Persons who are maliciously inclined destroyed a tulip bed in the yard of the First Methodist Church on East Main Street. Out of 150 tulips all but twelve were pulled up by the roots. The deliberate destruction of the flower bed is an act that should not occur in the community of Hartford.

Agitation over the appearance of the Hartford cemeteries has resulted in more work being done in the two cemeteries this spring than has been done before in several years. The township board placed a force of men in the old cemetery on West Main and they have gone over the entire area. Many lots that have not been regularly mown were burned over to dispose of the dead grass and this prompted some complaint from a few lot owners who had shrubs or plants that had been touched by fire.

80 years ago - 1944

Construction of the locker plant which will serve Hartford and Keeler residents will begin early next week. Installation of the lockers, in the Chamberlin Hardware building will be handled by the firm of Waterman and Mohr. A few of the 588 lockers to be installed are still available for individuals wishing to rent them.

The Hartford Garden Club met at the home of Mrs. William Day with Mrs. Claude Simpson assisting the hostess. Mrs. William Phillips and Mrs. Lucille Chamberlin read papers on lilies and peonies.

60 years ago - 1964

The new Hope Lutheran Church, in the Bennett subdivision, will be dedicated with two special services. Dedication rites will be conducted during the morning service. A festival service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Construction of the new Lutheran church began in September 1963. A cornerstone laying ceremony was held Jan. 12, the day the first service was held in the new church. The Hope Lutheran congregation was organized in February, 1960. Four children received the rites of confirmation at Hope Lutheran Church on Sunday.

A brief but intense hail, rain, and thunder storm hit Tuesday morning followed by weather considerably cooler than Monday’s high 80s. Hail fell twice. In the first flurry, hailstones were the size of acorns. Fifteen minutes later smaller hail fell. The fire department was called to Ely Park, where lightning struck a tree and set it on fire. The lightning broke out a section of concrete curbing and then bounced to the Kruger store nearby, where lights and cooling system were knocked out of order for a time.

Submitted by Librarian Stephanie Daniels at Hartford Public Library from microfilm copies of the Hartford Day Spring.

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News from the Watervliet Record

90 years ago - 1934

Parents and friends of the senior class of ‘34 of Watervliet High School attended the annual commencement program held at the high school auditorium on June 1, when 31 young men and women were presented diplomas in recognition of the completion of their four years’ course of study in the school. The commencement address was given by Dr. Carl Cooper, of Western State Teachers College.

Ward Morlock, proprietor of the Pleasant Street Dairy, has equipped his plant with a new Frigidaire cooling unit. John J. Chambers is the local representative for Frigidaire.

60 years ago - 1964

Watervliet’s 75th annual Commencement exercises will be held on June 4. The graduating class has selected honor student Marsha Mestre to give the class talk. Loretta Phillipi, class president, will present the class greeting and Elizabeth Fulton will give the class response.

Two Watervliet teachers were installed as officers of the Berrien County Education Association. Franklin Jackson, North Elementary School principal was named president-elect of the county association and Norma Rendall, high school English teacher, was installed as county secretary.

Victoria Griffis was appointed assistant director for Draper Hall at Western Michigan University. Victoria was a 1961 graduate of WHS and will graduate at Western in 1965.

30 Years Ago - 1994

Each year, during Michigan Week (the last full week in May), cities and villages throughout the state have Mayor Exchange Day. The Michigan Municipal League pairs cities and villages of approximately the same population. To keep from being paired with a city several hours away, some have chosen to pick their exchange. For this year, Watervliet and Lawton chose to exchange.

Congratulations to Eric Megna, the final seventh-grade “Student of the Week” at Watervliet Junior High. Eric’s plans include going to college and becoming an architect.

Watervliet merchants welcome students recently, the Tri-City Record and many other merchants in downtown Watervliet got the privilege of sharing their businesses with North and South School third-graders.

Submitted by Sally Q. Gonzalez from files at Watervliet District Library of the Watervliet Record newspapers donated by the Tri-City Record.

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